Port Blair: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on January 19 said steps would be taken for development of strategically located Andaman and Nicobar islands to promote tourism and announced launch of a helicopter service with 90 per cent fare subsidy for inter-connectivity of these islands.

"We need to evolve innovative and ecologically sustainable ways of promoting island tourism for which there is an immense untapped potential both in Andaman and Nicobar islands and in Lakhwadeep," Vajpayee, inaugurating the 10th meeting of the Island Development Authority, said in Port Blair.

"The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Space have taken an important decision to improve these islands' connectivity, both internally and with the mainland," he said.

"Pawan Hans helicopter service between Port Blair and other islands will be introduced shortly. For this, 90 per cent subsidy will be given to islanders on fare," he said.

Citing his recent visit to Bali and Maldives, he said, "We need to take effective steps to enable more and more mainland and foreign tourists, many of whom go to nearby destinations in South-East Asia, to come here."

He, however, cautioned "while accelerating the pace of development, we need to be careful so that we do not cause any irreversible damage to the unique ecological and cultural heritage of these islands."

Stating the usual mainland development plan could not be superimposed on them, Vajpayee said the government accordingly had been encouraging an innovative approach for development of these islands.

PTI